Is a Body Temperature of 35.7-35.8 to 35.9 Normal?

You probably don’t often think about your body temperature until you’re sick or injured and need to know whether you have a fever or not. Some people’s normal body temperature is always lower than “normal”, so if they register a normal reading, it can actually indicate a fever for those people.

Your body works 24/7 to cool or heat your body, depending on the temperature around you, to regulate your body to the proper temperature. Body temperature is regulated by your body systems since most bodily functions work their best at the proper temperature.

Your personal “normal” body temperature is probably not exactly the same as people around you. It can vary by person, activity level, hormone changes like menstrual periods or pregnancy and where the temperature was taken. This article explains whether a body temperature of 35.7 – 35.8 – 35.9 degrees C is normal.

Health research experts at Mineola, NY’s Winthrop University Hospital have discovered information that supports something physicians have recognized for years: If you’re older, your normal body temperature is usually lower.

In a study following 150 people who averaged 81 years of age, their average “normal”, healthy temperatures never reached what everyone considers a “normal” temperature. Even when elderly people become sick, their temperature may never reach a point which is normally identified as having a fever. In fact, low body temperatures, lower than 35.7C, can even be a symptom of sickness.

What’s the bottom line? As the Harvard Health Letter reports, health care professionals should take body temperature variations into account. Your physician should take temperatures at different times of day, on different appointment days, to establish your baseline temperature. You should recognize that 37C is not the benchmark you may have always believed it was.

A body temperature of 35.7 to 35.9C is quite close to the acceptable averages in temperature, and should not USUALLY be cause for alarm. The normal temperatures for adults vary frequently, usually between 36.5-37.5C or more.

Generally:

Hypothermia is the term used when your body temperature is below 36C. If your normal temperature is below that level, your temperature if you have hypothermia will be lower than that.

Feverishness occurs when your body temperature measures 37.1-37.9C.

An actual fever, also known as hyperthermia, occurs when your temperature is 38C or higher.

Children’s Body Temperatures

If your child has a normal body temperature of 35.7 – 35.9C, this is somewhat low for their stage of life. Take logical measures to help in increasing his body temperature. If his clothes are wet, remove them, dry him off and cover him with warm blankets. You can also give him warm fluids for drinking. His minimum temperature should be 36C.

Axillary Temperature

Axillary temperatures of 35.7 – 35.9C are not far removed from average temperatures. Take your child’s temperature again, and take precautions so that hypothermia does not develop. Some children have axillary temperatures lower than 36C, so this is generally considered normal for them.

Oral Temperature

Oral temperatures of 35.7 – 35.9C are close to “normal”. You may review the thermometer placement and take precautions against hypothermia. Oral temperature measurements are recommended for all patients, unless they are unconscious, experiencing infections of the throat, mouth or nose, have seizures or are suffering from mental confusion. Children under six years old should have their temperature taken in a non-oral manner.

Rectal Temperature

Rectal temperatures of 35.7 – 35.9C are somewhat low, and you may want to visit your GP if your rectal temperature is this low. As a rule, rectal temperatures are taken mainly in children. Rectal temperatures are about 0.5 – 0.7C degrees higher than temperatures taken orally.

Body Temperature Influences

There are numerous factors that can affect your body temperature, and can change the reading by several tenths of one degree. 35 degrees Celsius or lower is considered alarming.

The individual’s constitution can affect their temperature. The variables include obesity, malnourishment and age. Infants and the elderly are especially prone to low temperatures.

Other factors outside the body that could make your temperature lower include drug or alcohol impairment and working in very cold conditions for a long time. If your low body temperature is caused by one of these influences, take action to warm up your body.

Determining whether a body temperature of 35.4, 35.6 or 35.7 is normal

This article is only intended to be a source of helpful information. We do not claim to be diagnosing any illness or treatment any medical issue. Please consult your physician if you have concerns about your body temperature.